Darchinyan Crushes Gallo in Four

After an eight-month layoff, former world champion Vic “Raging Bull” Darchinyan, 39-5-1 (28) (now under the Top Rank promotional banner and new manager Frank Espinoza) returned to action Saturday night, facing the tough-as-nails Javier Gallo, 18-7-1 (10), on the UniMas main event at the Uni-Trade Stadium in Laredo, Texas.

The southpaw Darchinyan, now campaigning in the super bantamweight division, looked slower and a bit off on his timing, seemingly had some problems against the incoming Gallo in the first couple of rounds.

Despite the adjustment, Darchinyan managed to drop Gallo three times, once each with a one-two combo, a four-punch combination to the head and a short, straight left on the inside at the end of the second frame.

Gallo found a home upstairs with his right hand against the perennially overconfident Armenian, who overcame his technical deficiencies with brute power.

The shorter Gallo began to reach more than in previous rounds but got caught with looping, straight lefts by the countering Darchinyan in the third frame.

The end came at the onset of the fourth with another short, inside Darchinyan left, putting the Mexican on his back for good as referee Mark Calo-Oy stepped in and called it a night at 26 seconds into the round.

Looking more experienced than their records dictate, both fighters went to the body looking for openings, with Castaneda looking to counter a bit more, seemingly landing the harder shots in the bout.

Rosas got a break in the fourth and final round after his foe landed a right hand low blow.

Scores were 38-38, 40-36 and 39-37.

Super middleweight Radames Montes, 2-2-1 (2), and Martinez Porter, (1-3-2), drew at the end of four. Porter suffered a cut over his right eye due to a clean shot at the end of a sloppy first round.

Montes pressed on and Porter moved, ducked and avoided wild shots, drawing boos in the process. Porter countered well against the ropes near the end of the fourth before a long-range right hand (after a break due to a straying low blow) crashed on Montes’ jaw, wobbling him badly. Holding on for dear life, the native of Killeen, Texas made it out of the round.

Scores were 39-37, Porter, 39-37, Montes and 38-38 for the split draw.